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Japanese knotweed, sweet sour yoghurt.

Food, Foraging, Wild herbs, , , ,

I so enjoyed harvesting, cooking and eating Japanese knotweed today, for the first time in my life.

I found several patches of the plant locally and harvested using a small knife, in much the same way as you would asparagus, except above the ground. The more mature stems were hollow, younger ones were very like asparagus within. Some had thin stems, some fat. I harvested young shoots, about 6 to 8 inches long, took them home, stripped away the leaves and thoroughly washed the stems before chopping them and boiling for 5 minutes in a little water.

The taste was very rhubarby; tart, sour and in need of some sweet. Once cooled a little, I mashed the soft stewed stems with a little banana, homemade yoghurt, a dab of honey and a good pinch each of ground ginger and cinnamon. When combined to my liking, I served in a small bowl and garnished with torn basil leaves.

The outside of the knotweed was more fibrous than I had expected so next time, I shall either push the stewed stems through a fine sieve or pulverize them with a blender, before mixing with the other ingredients. Stringiness aside, this is a delicious dessert! Maida Silverwood’s book proposes freezing stewed knotweed and I shall certainly have a go at that, when I find more of it. I will also keep an eye on how the cut stems repair at my harvesting spot.


Please be aware of harvesting from clean untreated places (not the location shown above), the rules for rhizome disposal for this plant in your locality. In some countries it is a criminal offense to allow spread of the plant by careless disposal of the roots.

The roots were apparently used in ancient Chinese medicine for menstrual and post partum problems. It is certainly very astringent to taste and thus must have a drying, constricting effect on the body, at least to some extent.

I’ll do some research into the similarities with rhubarb and more historic medicinal uses. It is truly delicious and if you are a rhubarb fan I am quite certain you could also come to love Japanese knotweed.

Japanese knotweed

Foraging, Perennial herbs, Wild herbs, ,

Japanese knotweed (polygonum cuspidatum) is an extremely invasive non-indigenous plant and gardeners who know it are generally distressed to find it on their patch. However, today I spotted this deliberately positioned specimen, growing happily in the Hortus Botanicus, Amsterdam. It’s even got an identification plate!

I once saw Japanese knotweed growing into a house which was being auctioned, yes into it, through the walls and under the floor! Needless to say, I didn’t make an offer to buy the place.

Seeing the plant reminded me that it is edible and apparently rather tasty too. According to the late Maida Silverman in her book, A City Herbal, it can be harvested and eaten in the same way as bamboo shoots, at this time of year. New York forager Steve Brill seems to like it, likening it’s taste to rhubarb. He also mentions it’s suitability as a companion plant, due to pesticide qualities. Personally, I don’t find the plant calls me to try it and I worry that by harvesting young shoots, the plant would further proliferate, in an attempt to survive. I hope I’m wrong because there is plenty of this plant growing in Amsterdam and I do love rhubarb crumble! What a great foraging plant this could be.

I’d love to hear from anyone who has tasted this plant. It is said to be quite tender, when cooked and to act as a gentle laxative. I’m also keen to know if harvesting, without pulling up the roots, would increase the plant’s chances of survival.

I wrote to Steve Brill about the harvesting issue. Here’s his reply…

On Apr 18, 2012 1:16 AM, “Steve Brill” wrote:
>
> Hi Lynn,
>
> Thanks for writing. As far as I can tell, it spreads wherever it can whether or not it’s harvested.
>
> Happy Foraging!
>

So knotweed crumble, here I come!

Claudy Jongstra – Plant Dyed Fibres at De Hortus

Fibre dying, , , ,

I dream of using wool from my own sheep, dyed with herbs, to make my own clothes. Last year I bought some Woad, Safflower, Indigo and Weld seeds and last week I finally got around to sewing them indoors. Hopefully I’ll be able to harvest at least a little from each plant some time soon and will then have a go at dyeing some shop bought yarn.

De Hortus Botanicus, Amsterdam boasts some beautiful, plant dyed wool, produced by acclaimed artist Claudy Jongstra. I saw them today, hanging on the walls of the Orangerie cafe, looking like perfect marble walls. The newly refurbished shop at De Hortus also sells some of her work and it is a real pleasure to see.

Do have a look at Claudy’s website if you are interested in making plant dyed wool into items of fascination and beauty. It has certainly inspired me to encourage those seedlings to grow!

Oregon grape, Berberis aquifolium

Evergreen herbs, Foraging, Shrubs,

I was out walking in my Amsterdam neighborhood today and as usual noticed lots of Oregon grape (Berberis aquifolium) in landscaped areas. Every time I see this plant, I remember reading about how it is edible and in fact, a highly regarded herb. I have never used it but decided to learn and share a little about it today.

You can easily find out lots of information regarding this herb on the Internet or in books. It’s a herb with quite a history, being the state plant of Oregon. I find the most interesting facts are that:

1. It is a powerful liver stimulant and cleanser.
2. The roots are bright yellow and highly regarded by herbalists seeking a strong stimulant effect.
It doesn’t really sound like a herb for me because of this potency. Tonics tend to be much safer and more appropriate for adding to everyday meals.
3. It must be avoided by those who already tax their systems, for instance by eating lots of heavy meals.
4. The berries are black, obvious and plentiful when autumn arrives. They are very rich in vitamin c and have a very bitter taste.

I’ll be sampling the berries in autumn and will post more Oregon grape entries on Boskoi. I’m thinking of adding a handful to a Rumpot. It has obviously been an Amsterdam landscape architect’s favorite over the years consequently there are plenty of dense Oregon grape plantings in town.

Frankendael 365 – Get Involved

365 Frankendael, Foraging

Meet on Monday 16th April, 2012, Frankendael Park if you would like to get involved!

I’m starting the 365 Frankendael project on 21st April 2012 and would love to meet anyone who fancies helping out by taking occasional photos and maybe identifying some herbs, which they notice in and around that park (or other places in Amsterdam, which I’ll also document on the blog).

I’m going to document herbs which are “in season” in Park Frankendael, every day for a year. The more photos and info I receive, the more useful the project should be for other people who like to forage here in Amsterdam or who simply like to know what is growing here.

This gathering is just to meet anyone who may like to get involved with the project, however infrequently. You don’t need anything more than a camera and ability to email me. I’m friendly and love talking about and looking at plants!

If you need more info or you can’t make it but want to get involved, then please send me an email.

I look forward to meeting you there!

I have set up a meetup.com group (with Jennie Akse) and that’s another way to contact me, if you prefer. Anyone can join the meetup group.

Coltsfoot: A look-a-like not to be coughed at

Blog, Foraging, Wild herbs, , , , , ,

I found this cheerful looking Coltsfoot (NL: Klein hoefblad) plant in Frankendael a couple of days ago and thought it was time to look at some look-a-like plants which herbal foragers should be aware of.

Coltsfoot (Tussilago farfara) and Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale), which people often confuse it with, are both members of the same plant family (Asteraceae).  Both herbs are useful but Dandelion is generally the plant which herbal foragers are after. It is such a well known bitter herb and has earned an enduring place in the sophisticated kitchens of many cultures.  Coltsfoot flowers (if enough of them were to be gathered) can be used to make a traditional children’s cough remedy. However there are many who now avoid internal consumption of Coltsfoot, due to the discovery that it contains certain liver toxins called Pyrrolizidine alkaloids.

Many herbs contain small amounts of potentially harmful chemicals but when they are ingested as plant rather than separated chemical they tend to have a quite different effect on the body.  One tip for herbal foragers, who are concerned by toxicity, is that generally flowers contain less volatile and active ingredients than other parts of a plant.  Thus a flower remedy, made from Coltsfoot, should contain less alkaloids than one made from the leaves and roots.

Link to Susun Weed’s video, showing how to identify, harvest and make Coltsfoot honey cough remedy.

How to differentiate Coltsfoot from Dandelion:
1. The solid & scaley Coltsfoot stem is quite different to the smooth & hollow stem of Dandelion.
2. Both being members of the Asteraceae family, their flowers are similar but Coltsfoot flowers bloom on stems before the leaves have grown.  With Dandelion, the obvious, downward toothed leaves develop well before the flowers appear.

Wild rose

Rose petal butter – 3 methods

Food, Shrubs, , ,

Recently, I was interviewed for a Time Out article about city foraging. As the journalist and I discussed the merits and perils of city foraging, I mentioned how underused roses are. Very soon Amsterdam should be dripping with fragrant blooming roses. Most petals simply tumble to the ground and at times make a soggy rotting mess on pavements. I urge you to find roses in healthy locations, ask the owners if they would mind you harvesting very sparingly and get ready for lots of rose tinted recipes!

Many Roses will bloom by mid May and the season will hopefully last right throughout the summer months. Our rooftop Rambling Rector is not in good shape, following the late cold weather, so I’m on the hunt for local neglected roses.

Rose petal butter
Here are 3 methods, all make a fragrant, eye catching and somewhat romantic butter. The first method are very simple, the third method is traditional but well worth the extra effort.

Please note:
Roses from a florist are not to be eaten as they will surely have been sprayed with chemicals. Likewise, roses from sprayed gardens must be avoided, as should those from unknown, unclean or suspect sources or those with no scent. If you gather petals in the morning, just after the dew has evaporated, you will have petals of a higher oil content and these will make the best butter.

Method 1. Simply chop, or tear, upto a cup full of fragrant rose petals and mix throughout a block of softened butter. It can be mixed until the butter becomes creamy. Shape the butter – petal mix as you wish before refrigerating for about 2 hours prior to use. and leave in refridgerator for two hours, prior to use.

Method 2. Allow a block of butter to soften so that you can shape it as desired. Cover it with lots of petals and place it in a glass container. It should ideally be completely drowned in petals, beneath it, all around it – really packed in petals. Leave the container for a good 24 hours, to allow the fragrance to penetrate the butter. To use, remove the butter from most or all of the petals, use petals as mentioned in 3 below and refrigerate your butter if you wish.

Method 3. Over the bottom of a glass jar, spread a layer of softened butter then cover it with a layer of washed and blotted-dry whole rose petals. Place a cut to size sheet of baking parchment over the petal layer and cover that with another layer of butter and a subsequent layer of rose petals. Make several layers in this way before sealing. Store for several days, at room temperature or in a refrigerator. Finally, separate the paper, petals and butter. Reuse or recycle the paper, shape the butter as desired, set the petals aside to use a garnish or sandwich filling. Butter and petal quantities, required for this method, depend upon how much you would like to make or have access to.

Rose butter is versatile, you may like to try it on sandwiches, hot breads, crumpets or cakes.

I posted a Rose cupcakes recipe last year, more rose recipes to follow over the coming months.

(There are no photos for this posting as I didn’t take a photo, the last time I made rose butter. When the rose season arrives, I’ll add a few.)

Edible table planter – self seeding plants

Food, Growing herbs, Seed saving, , , ,


I guess you’d call this a table planter of edible herbs. It’s also a good way to rehome some self-seeded plants. I planted it out yesterday using some herb & salad seedlings, which had spread around other pots on my roof terrace. I filled the planter last year, using shop-bought seeds and although the plants didn’t have space to grow very large, they were really useful. This time I was able to relocate some seedlings of watercress, lettuce, and chamomile, which I added to the pot and supplemented with a sprinkling of old seeds.

Last year the planter provided a beautiful and tastes collection of plants which we would sit and pluck leaves from and eat directly with outdoor meals. I hope it will work well this year.

I also rehoused some self-seeded Welsh onions which had jumped ship to our neighbour’s gravel roof. They are now sitting pretty in one of the permapots.

Loo freshner from old herbs

Alchemy, Blog, ,

I was having a bit of a spring clean today and turned some really out of date dried herbs into a loo freshner.  It’s basically a pot pourri, using some herbs I was storing in the kitchen for teas.  They were bought or harvested in 2009, so a few years old. For dried herbs to be effective they should ideally be used within one year.  The blend I put together contains the following…

Lavender
Spearmint
Elderblossom
Chamomile

As you can see, I simply mixed them together in a glass jar and tucked it behind my loo with the lid open a little.  It should freshen up my loo for quite some time to come!

365 Frankendael

365 Frankendael, Foraging, Wild herbs, , ,

Many visitors to this site are interested in wild herbs and foraging. As you probably know, I do my foraging in the city of Amsterdam and am keen to encourage more of you to learn about the herbs around you. Often those I speak to are unaware that right here in Amsterdam, there are herbs to be foraged every single day of the year – if you know where to look.

From the New Moon in April 2012 I’ll be adding a little challenge to this site. I’m calling it 365 Frankendael because I live close to that beautiful Amsterdam park. I aim to post a photo and comment about herbs I have found in and around Park Frankendael, every day, for a year.

I’m sure to be away for some part of the year so will appeal for a little assistance when those times approach. If you’d like to help out then please contact me.

I hope you like the idea and will enjoy watching the herbal year in Frankendael unfold.